prefiguration
noun
pre·fig·u·ra·tion
(ˌ)prē-ˌfi-gyə-ˈrā-shən 
-gə-
1
: the act of prefiguring : the state of being prefigured
2
: something that prefigures
Examples of prefiguration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And the anti-authoritarian activists in the New Left movements trained themselves to create new spaces for prefiguration through a now familiar set of tactics.
—
Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 20 Sep. 2023
Since the early 20th century, Cycladic figures have had iconic power for contemporary artists, as an ancient prefiguration of abstraction.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022
The pharaoh’s monotheism is presented as a prefiguration of the Abrahamic relationship between God and man.
—Mary Spencer, National Review, 14 Dec. 2019
Tragically truncated lives tend to be told in reverse, as narratives of inevitability, thick with prefigurations of death.
—Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 5 July 2019
In other words, the bronze serpent is a prefiguration of Christ’s Crucifixion and the world’s salvation.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 26 July 2017
This chilling prefiguration of Hitler’s Final Solution is unmistakable, and Heidegger never explained, let alone apologized for, such horrendous statements.
—Gregory Fried, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
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Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 20 Sep. 2023
Since the early 20th century, Cycladic figures have had iconic power for contemporary artists, as an ancient prefiguration of abstraction.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022
The pharaoh’s monotheism is presented as a prefiguration of the Abrahamic relationship between God and man.
—Mary Spencer, National Review, 14 Dec. 2019
Tragically truncated lives tend to be told in reverse, as narratives of inevitability, thick with prefigurations of death.
—Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 5 July 2019
In other words, the bronze serpent is a prefiguration of Christ’s Crucifixion and the world’s salvation.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 26 July 2017
This chilling prefiguration of Hitler’s Final Solution is unmistakable, and Heidegger never explained, let alone apologized for, such horrendous statements.
—Gregory Fried, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
Cite this Entry
“Prefiguration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefiguration. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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